Ideas For Wainscoting On Ceilings

Wainscoting is traditionally white, though natural finishes also are an option.

Wainscoting is a classic wood paneling option traditionally used for walls or with chair rails, but wainscoting also is an intriguing textural treatment for ceilings. The thin strip wood panels create a homey, beach house atmosphere in your home, even if you live in the plains of the Midwest. Experiment with colors and panel spacing to create a custom look for your home's ceilings.

Flat Wainscoting

Wainscoting creates the sensation of a bungalow style home when secured to low- to medium-height flat ceilings. Placing the strips of the wainscoting parallel to the longest wall elongates the room and keeps the space bright and open, but placing the wainscoting perpendicular to the longest wall creates the illusion of a smaller, cozier space. Stick to the classic whitewash finish, or invest in a high-gloss white paint to reflect light and make the area feel larger. A rich, dark-colored wood ceiling fan with palm leaf blades is a dramatic and fitting contrast to the white panels to further carry the bungalow style throughout the space.

Vaulted and Cathedral Ceilings

The expansive height of a vaulted or cathedral ceiling is a high selling point for a home, but the height often will make a room feel cold or empty. Wainscoting on a high angled ceiling tones down the height to make a room feel smaller and more welcoming. Though white wainscoting achieves the ceiling-dropping effect, larger ceilings can withstand the additional treatment of a darker color or alternative shade. Choose a shade in the same color family as the walls, and line the panels so the strips run toward the peak of the ceiling. If you're a more adventurous designer, opt for a complementary shade for the wainscoting; yellow walls pair well with gray lavender paneling, while rich burgundy walls are a rich match for pale emerald wainscoting.

Wainscoting Panels

Wainscoting traditionally pairs with chair rails or molding, so carry the traditional pairing to the ceiling with framed panels of wainscoting. Picture frame molding consists of four strips of thin molding that meet in the corners with mitered joints for a clean finish. When you place frames around a panel of wainscoting, you create a textured effect that adds visual interest to the ceiling. If your ceiling is large, create a grid of several square wainscoting panels. Smaller ceilings appear larger with a single panel arranged in the center of the ceiling. For even more visual impact, paint the molding, wainscoting or surrounding ceiling a pale or pastel shade like sunny yellow, heather gray or sky blue.

Tags: bungalow style, ceiling with, chair rails, longest wall, make room